Angel Of Small Death
by Azfixiation
Summary: Based off a Clexa comic where Polaris is still the 13th station and Lexa is on the Ark. Her and Clarke meet unexpectedly while both are up to no good.
1. Chapter 1

Soooo this story is for 93MANIAC who put in a special request. It is based off of a comic on deviantart which you can (and should) google called Clexa AU (Polaris is still the 13th station). Hopefully this lives up to your expectations and let me know if I should continue. Much love to everyone who reads.

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Clarke froze in her tracks, her hand hovering mid air. She could not only hear the approaching footsteps but she could feel a suffocating presence behind her. Her mind was buzzing with excuses. Surely she could come up with some reason why she was in the locked supply room on the thirteenth station. Before her brain had quieted enough for her to even turn around she heard the voice behind her.

"So you're the one..." a woman's voice said. Clarke turned around, somehow calmed by the strong yet melodious voice behind her. Whatever her punishment was meant to be, floating probably, at least she got to hear an angel's voice before it happened. The blonde's eyes landed on someone dressed in full gear and she wondered briefly what it would be like to be one of the few chosen to actually go outside of the Ark.

Clarke let out a little yelp as the figure moved closer to her. "Stealing art supplies from the stock room from time to time," the voice concludes. Clarke is breathless just from the voice alone but stunned as her heart beats hard when the woman takes off her helmet. Suddenly she is aching even more for the supplies she came for. Her fingers are tracing patterns in the air, wanting to draw this beautiful stranger in front of her although Clarke is certain she could never do justice to the deep green eyes locked onto hers.

Finally Clarke breaks free of their stare down but as her eyes move lower she sees that the girls suit marks her as commander. Her mind was reeling, unable to process that she had no idea who this was much less that she wouldn't know one of the station leaders considering that her parent's were best friends with the Chancellor of the entire Ark. "Y-you're the commander? It was just one charcoal stick. I can ex-"

She was silenced when the girl before her held up her hand. Clarke found herself obeying with ease but unsure of why. "I've been wondering who's been just as sneaky as me to bypass security." The girl is walking towards Clarke and she finds herself unable to move. She can only look into the green eyes framed by perfect brunette hair before her, imagining this must be exactly the colors of what the forest trees on Earth had looked like. "Nice to finally put a face on you."

Clarke is still frozen. She isn't being reprimanded. No one is threatening to float her. But she can't breathe. The girl before her is stunning and she can't peel her eyes away.

"Relax will you. I'm Lexa from the Polaris station and _not_ the commander," she emphasizes. "Nice to meet you," the green eyed girl says finally with a lopsided grin, her stoic mask disappearing from her face.

The blonde finally finds her words, her anger rising as the adrenaline from being caught begins to wear off. Her blue eyes turn to ice as they stare down Lexa. "Clarke. Never scare me like that ever again," she demands.

Lexa gulps almost audibly as she faces down Clarke's stare. "Cool cool. That'll be the first and the last time," she promises as she reaches out to Clarke in greeting.

Clarke does the same, clasping her hand around Lexa's forearm in acknowledgment. "Also, what's with the space suit?" she finally asks as a laugh erupts from the back of her throat.

"I thought it was a neat disguise," the brunette answers, smiling shyly. Clarke only scrunches her face in distaste and shakes her head. "Too extra?" Lexa asks shyly. She feels warmth spread through her cheeks as Clarke's eyes change from cold to warm before her and she would swear that she could see them lightening just a shade as the mood shifted between them.

"Definitely. Now help me look for some more art supplies 'commander'," Clarke teases as she grabs Lexa's hand and drags her deeper into the stock room.

Lexa is unable to do anything but follow. She is completely transfixed by this stranger that has been sneaking into her station. Sure the Ark was big, but she always felt like everybody knew _everybody_ on it. She couldn't imagine how it would be possible for her to make it to seventeen without having run into this gorgeous girl even once. "So you're an artist?" Lexa asks awkwardly once Clarke stops tugging on her hand.

The blonde just looks at her and laughs. As she shakes her head she rummages through a few crates. "Are any of us anything on this stupid Ark? I just like to create. My body craves it," Clarke confesses, unsure of why she was being so honest.

"Yeah I saw your hand being all twitchy back there," Lexa states but as Clarke looks into her eyes she can see no judgment in them.

"What about you? Aren't you going to get anything?" blue eyes question as the get lost in deep green once more.

"Just one thing I need," Lexa answers as she walks around the corner. A few moments later she pops back into Clarke's sight and holds up a bottle of black paint.

Arching an eyebrow suspiciously Clarke says nothing. To each their own. "We good to go here?"

Lexa nods before instinctively taking her hand to lead her out. Clarke was curious, but didn't question the action. If the beautiful girl wanted to hold her hand she certainly wouldn't complain. More fuel for her artistic fire. "Wait here a sec," Lexa whispers before cracking the door open just enough to peek out of it. Upon seeing no bodies and not hearing anything she hesitantly slips out and checks around the corner before opening the door for Clarke. "All good Picasso," the brunette confirms.

Clarke slides out of the room but Lexa doesn't fail to notice the slight crinkle in the blonde's nose as the door clicks shut behind them. The brunette cocks her head to the side, the question evident on her face. "He's a little too abstract for me. I'm more of a realist. I like still life," Clarke explains though she's unsure of why she's saying so much to this stranger.

"So you like dead things? Lexa asks confused.

Clarke can't help the laugh that escapes her lips. "I said still life, not still death. I paint or draw what I see," she explained. "What do you do with that black paint?"

Lexa smiled shyly and averted her eyes but Clarke's gaze was relentless and she finally caved. "Do you have some free time? I know you're all twitchy to draw or whatever but I think it would be easier to show you instead."

Clarke really was itching to get to her sketchpad. She wanted to capture the beauty standing before her and the perfect symmetry of her jawline and cheekbones. She also knew that no matter how good she recreated the girl it wouldn't compare to the true depth behind her green eyes so she simply nodded to indicate that she had free time.

"Fantastic. Come on," Lexa said excitedly as she grabbed Clarke's hand once more and drug her deeper into the thirteenth station. She led the blonde into a fairly large room with a few young kids in it. As soon as they saw Lexa they ran over to her excitedly, tackle hugging her.

Clarke watched in fascination as she saw the mesmerizing green eyes come to life. She stood on the sidelines curious to see what type of scene was going to unfold before her. "Alright kids, this is my buddy Clarke. She's going to be joining us for today's match." Lexa only smirked as she saw the blue eyes darken once more but this time with a different type of fear. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

Lexa didn't bother to explain. She would let Clarke watch and if she decided to leave then that was on her. The children formed a line in front of her and she pulled out the black paint along with a brush that had been in her pocket. "It's face paint," was her only explanation as she dipped her brush into it.

Clarke's confusion turned into pure fascination as she watched Lexa apply it to the kids. Each one got a different design, painted with ease and perfection. She hadn't even noticed that her feet had moved her closer to the brunette to watch. Finally when the paint had been applied to the last little face Lexa stood and turned to Clarke. "Your turn Wanheda." Clarke's face scrunched again and Lexa laughed. The blonde was breathtaking even when she was making weird faces. "It's warpaint for our battle. I am the Commander, or Heda. Don't you want to rally your troops against me?"

A few of the children cheered their excitement, wanting to be on the new girls team. Clarke couldn't help but catch their enthusiasm and smiled. "I have no idea what's happening but if it means I get to kick your butt for scaring me like you did then I'm totally in," she grinned mischievously.

Lexa couldn't stop the grin that took over her face as she looked into the blue eyes before her, once more gentle and calm. She raised the paintbrush to apply the warpaint to Clarke before handing the supplies to Clarke. "As a treat I'll let you pick my warpaint today, Wanheda."

Clarke obliged immediately. In all of her art she had never created it on another human before. She didn't take long, sliding the brush up and down in long strokes alone the brunette's face almost like bat wings dipping down and up again, making her look fierce. When she finished with the paint she ran her thumb over Lexa's cheek, rubbing away a slight mistake on her creation.

Lexa's breath hitched in her throat as her eyes involuntarily closed at the contact. She yearned to lean into the touch. She couldn't remember the last time she had been touched like this. Like someone actually cared about her. When Clarke pulled her hand away she came back to reality.

"What if we get caught all painted up?" Clarke asked finally. "I mean you seem cool and all but I'm not sure if I'm ready to get floated for you."

Lexa let out a laugh and shook her head. "Don't worry we do this every week. We have a perfect window of time when they adults on the station are all busy with their meetings. We've been doing this for years."

Clarke nodded though she didn't know why. She just met this girl. It was reckless to trust her with her life. She knew the punishment for breaking the rules. She could be jailed for two years before getting floated on her eighteenth birthday. For some reason though, she didn't want to walk away from this stranger in front of her. She was so full of life and the children clearly worshiped her. At least someone was doing something positive on this forsaken Ark. "Alright so what are the rules _Heda_?" Clarke asked with emphasis on the title.

Lexa explained that they were basically playing tag. Clarke was to stay behind her line of children, or warriors, who were meant to protect her and Lexa would be behind her own little warriors. When finally Heda or Wanheda were tagged then the tagging team won.

Clarke allowed herself a cocky girn and Lexa returned it with one of her own. "You're doing down blondie. I've been doing this for years. My warriors are mighty," Lexa claimed as she rallied her little troops.

The children that had cheered for Clarke earlier now booed at Lexa's speech and went to stand by their new leader. "You may have mighty warriors Heda, but my warriors have heart!" Clarke said with confidence, feeling her heart swell as the kids around her cheered once more.

Clarke and her troops moved to one side of the room while Lexa took hers to the other side. When she saw Lexa bending down to talk to them she decided on a little strategy herself. Instead of pumping them up with words Clarke decided to hug each of the children and told them to do the best they could. She knew the way to win was always through the hearts of others not mindless attacks. As the kids looked up at her with adoration she knew they would give it their all to take down Lexa.

"Ready?" Lexa called out from her side of the room. Her little troops formed a protective line in front of her.

Clarke simply nodded and suddenly the game began. She watched as Lexa's children formed a defense and an offense. She admired Lexa's strategy but wasn't afraid that she hadn't given her team any instructions. As they ran wild and full of the need to prove themselves to their new Wanheda they quickly ran circles around Lexa's troops. Since there was no detectable strategy or plan Lexa was helpless to direct them instead she was forced to just settle on yelling out "Get them!"

The match was a close one but despite all odds the smallest member of Clarke's team managed to push forward enough to tag Lexa, thus ending their battle for the day. Team Wanheda cheered victoriously and ran over to hug her once more. Clarke was certain she had never been hugged so much in her entire life as she glanced up to lock eyes with Lexa who was also being wrapped in hugs. The two locked eyes for a moment and Clarke could feel herself blushing. Somehow this strange girl who she had just met brought her into a whole new world she never imagined could have existed on the Ark. Suddenly her mundane life didn't seem so awful anymore.

After a few minutes Lexa made her way to Clarke and offered her congratulations. "Let's get everyone cleaned up?" she asked and Clarke nodded in agreement. As much fun as that had been she still didn't want to be caught.

They two worked in silence for a few minutes, each gently removing the face paint from their teams. "Want me to do you?" Lexa asked after the kids had left and the two were alone. "I mean your face that is. The paint," Lexa stumbled over her words and both girls averted their gazes as they tried to get the butterflies in their stomachs to shut up.

Lexa wanted to claim that she had no idea why she invited Clarke to join and risk herself getting in trouble but she knew from the second she laid eyes on the blonde that she was attracted to her. Knowing they had both been sneaking around also gave her leverage, just in case Clarke had decided to rat her out. After all she was the one on another station.

"Sure," Clarke answered after a few moments.

Lexa was pulled from her thoughts and it took her a few seconds to realize why Clarke was saying sure. Once she remembered the question she had asked she made quick work of removing the paint from the blonde's face. Although she worked quickly she made sure her fingers brushed against Clarke's skin, the need to touch it too great for her to resist.

When she finished Clarke insisted she get to do the same for Lexa. The brunette was pleased to feel Clarke's fingers brushing over her skin as well but once more fought the urge to lean into them. By the time Clarke was finished Lexa's throat was constricted and her breathing labored. She could only hope that Clarke didn't notice.

"Thank you for the fun Lexa," Clarke said as she stepped away from the brunette. "That might've been one of the most exciting ways I've broken the rules so far."

"Oh? You break the rules often?" Lexa replied with the grin back on her face. She wanted to know everything about this girl that had snuck into their store room and her life.

"Maybe next time you can come to my station for playtime," Clarke answered with a grin of her own. "But for now I've got to get going. I've been away way longer than planned. For all I know I'll get floated just for being gone," she said with an eye roll.

Lexa chuckled but nodded her head. "May we meet again?" she asked before the blonde could leave.

Clarke surprised her with a very unexpected hug. "We will. You showed me your art. I'll show you mine next time. Thank you for a lot of fun. See you around, Lexa."

Lexa didn't trust her voice but managed to get out a goofy sounding goodbye as she watched Clarke walk away. She hoped that they would be meeting again. And soon.


	2. Chapter 2

So I really had no idea how I was going to write this story, or even what I was going to do with it after the first chapter. Luckily my brain has figured it out and I can't tell you how excited I am to write it. Hopefully all of you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying the idea of what I want it to be. But it's probably going to be pretty epic, if I do say so myself. Totally open to suggestions though if you guys have any. :)

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"Where are you going?" a strong voice asks and Clarke turns around to see her best friend Wells. "Are you really going to bail on me twice in a row?"

The blonde hesitated. She couldn't tell him where she was going. He was the chancellor's son, even if he was her best friend. It was just chess. She was so fucking tired of playing chess with Wells. The routine of life on the ark was growing dull. At least it had been until she met a stranger last week and showed her a side of the Ark she had never known existed. Since Lexa hadn't come to find her she decided she was going to find the brunette. It wasn't against the rules or anything but who knew what she could catch Lexa in the middle of, if she even found her at all.

"Clarke?" Wells asked, his hand on the her arm. She hadn't even noticed him moving closer to her. "What's going on with you lately? You can talk to me. If there's something wrong I can help you."

His eyes were full of concern. And something else. That something else was something Clarke most definitely was not in the mood to deal with. "I'm just stressed out from my apprenticeship with my mom," she lied. "The medical stuff is just intense. I love it but it's a lot of responsibility. I just kind of need some me time."

"Yeah of course," Wells nodded and took a step back. "I'm here if you need me though."

"I know you are," she answered with the best smile she could plaster onto her face. She moved in to hug him quickly before turning on her heels and walking away. Everyone in her life meant well but lately they all felt so suffocating. She didn't want to be the girl whose parents were best friends with the chancellor. She didn't know if she wanted to be a doctor. She was only sixteen. She just wanted to be herself and her age for once.

She tried searching all the obvious places on the Ark that most teenagers hung out at but wasn't surprised that she couldn't find Lexa anywhere. She was different. Special. After failing on her own she decided to ask around. It only made her mood darken. "What do you want with her?" on of the teens asked. "Since when did the privileged decide to slum it?

Another reason why she desperately wanted to find Lexa. Lexa didn't know who she was or if she did she didn't care. She didn't treat Clarke differently just because of who her parents were or their relationship to the chancellor. "It's a simple yes or no question, Murphy" she said with a low growl.

"No, haven't seen her," he finally answered before turning his back on Clarke. She wanted to slap the grin off of his face but she couldn't. She was supposed to be the healer. The perfect daughter. She was pretty sure she was the only one on the Ark that didn't want to see her and Wells getting married too. The thought of it was like a lead weight on her shoulders. Her life was not her own. It never would be and she just wanted to forget that for a while.

She decided to give up now that she was more angry and frustrated than she had been when she started looking for her mysterious stranger. She started walking back towards her room and was lost in her thoughts when she spotted Lexa walking towards her with an amused grin. "Heard you've been asking around about me," she said. Clarke didn't even speak, she grabbed Lexa's arm and spun her on her heels so that she had no choice but to follow the blonde. "Where are you dragging me off to? Do I need to be worried?"

Clarke finally realized that she hadn't let go of her grip on the brunette and finally released her. "Sorry. Just tired of some of these assholes around here. I promised to show you my art next time, remember?" Clarke looked over at Lexa and immediately felt the tension leave her body.

"So you're dragging me off without asking if I was busy or had time to see your art?" Lexa asked but she still followed Clarke. She was intrigued, to say the least.

"Well, yes." Clarke admitted and stopped walking. "I'm sorry. I just... do you have the time?" she asked as her blue eyes searched the green ones of the girl she hadn't been able to stop thinking about. Her lips naturally formed a perfect pout without even trying. Clarke hadn't been able to think of anything else since meeting the other girl.

Lexa shrugged and nodded. She had found out who Clarke was after meeting her and was weary although Clarke had seemingly kept her secrets too and not ratted her out. This was the girl who played tag war and painted her face. She didn't want to think that everyone's opinion of her was true. She certainly was _not_ the goody-two-shoes she had been made out to be. So when Clarke started walking again Lexa found herself willingly following.

When Clarke stopped in front of a door in one of the residency area's Lexa cocked an eyebrow at her. "Taking me home already, Griffin?" she asked.

Clarke spun to face the brunette so fast Lexa was sure she would have given herself whiplash. "You know who I am..."

Lexa just nodded, watching as a storm of emotions rolled through the blue eyes in front of her. "It doesn't change anything," she reassured. It did, but Clarke didn't need to know that. Lexa just wanted to learn if she could or couldn't trust the blonde first. Her gut said yes and she was inclined to follow it unless proven otherwise.

Clarke smiled at her weakly before pushing open the door to her family's living quarters. Lexa's eyes widened at the size of them. She really was privileged. Lexa had heard rumors about how nicely the upper class of the Ark lived but this was beyond anything she had imagined. She had never seen a private living room or kitchen before.

"You hate me now, don't you?" Clarke asked quietly as she watched Lexa's green eyes widen as she took everything in. "Of course you do. Everyone on this God forsaken space trap does."

The disappointment in Clarke's voice quickly pulled Lexa from her gaping. "I don't hate you Clarke. I've just never seen anything like this on the Ark before. I share a room with three other people and you practically have a whole house for you and your parents."

"I would change it if I could. I didn't pick this. I hate all of it," Clarke admitted now that she knew there wasn't anyone who could overhear her.

Lexa wasn't sure how Clarke could hate it. She couldn't understand why this girl had been breaking into a store room just to steal art supplies when it was clear she could have anything she wanted. Clarke had though and she had played with them. She had clearly enjoyed it. She was the one who came looking for Lexa. The least Lexa could do was give her the benefit of the doubt and find out more about the blonde stranger.

"So where's the art?" Lexa asked, feeling unsure of how to proceed after Clarke's confession. As soon as she did she saw Clarke's eyes light up as a smile spread on her face. She immediately looked more relaxed which caused Lexa to relax in return.

Clarke led Lexa to her bedroom and smiled shyly. "You can't tell anyone about this," she said as she opened the door to allow Lexa in.

Lexa walked in but stopped in her tracks as soon as her eyes hit the walls of Clarke's bedroom. They were covered ceiling to floor in drawings. Some were landscapes with starry skies and the most realistic trees Lexa had ever seen outside of the pictures they showed in Earth studies. She was mesmerized to say the least. "This is amazing," she breathed out as she traced her fingers along the walls.

"My parents are the only ones that have ever seen it. They told me I could never bring anyone here but I wanted you to see." Clarke confessed as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I promise not to tell but you really should show off your skills somehow," Lexa encouraged as she took in the last of the art.

"I made you something," the blonde said timidly. Lexa turned to face her with curious eyes. Clarke rummaged through a drawer beside her bed for a moment and pulled out a piece of paper to hand Lexa. It was a near perfect drawing of the brunette in her warpaint with the kids who had been on her team during last weeks tag battle.

Lexa choked up as she looked at it. Not only was the skill and likeness amazing but no one had ever given her anything before aside from the kids she tried to look after. Sure she had friends but no one she was ever super attached to. "I... thank you for this Clarke," she smiled. Lexa carefully folded it to conceal it safely in her pocket. She hated to even fold it but she didn't want to risk anyone seeing it.

"We should probably go before my one of my parents show up and float me for bringing you here," Clarke joked but her sigh let her unhappiness seep through. "You wanna go do something? Or do you have somewhere to be?"

The desperation was so clear in Clarke's voice that Lexa didn't hesitate. "Let's go," she offered her hand to the blonde who took it. "My turn for show and tell." She was growing more curious about the blonde by the second and couldn't deny the easy connection they shared.

Maybe it was because of how they met but Lexa was happy they didn't have to waste time being fake. They may not know each other but now they each held a secret with the other. Whoever Clarke was she most definitely was not who people thought she was. As Lexa led them back towards her station she hadn't even noticed that she didn't let go of the blonde's hand until her eyes met those of the chancellor's son. He looked pissed and she quickly jumped away from Clarke, expecting Clarke to turn on her or deny that she had been spending time with one of the lower class _._

"How's that alone time going, Clarke?" he asked calmly but with an edge that made Lexa shiver. She wanted to say something. Do something. Anything. She knew she couldn't though. No one went against Wells unless they had a death wish. Even if she could take him in a fair fight. Unfortunately nothing on the Ark was fair.

"Wells..." Clarke started as she glanced from him to Lexa. She panicked, not wanting to compound a lie on top of a lie.

Lexa watched Clarke closely a new storm rolled over her blue eyes and she shifted her weight nervously. "Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt if you were busy Clark. I shouldn't have just grabbed onto you like that and pulled you along. I just thought you could help me with something," Lexa offered, trying to help Clarke out of her situation. "Just didn't seem worth troubling the medbay over something so trivial."

Wells' expression softened but Clarke's did not. Lexa couldn't tell what she was thinking or what she would say. "I'm happy to help if I can. I'm only an apprentice though," she answered as she looked at Lexa who gave her the slightest nod to confirm she was supposed to just play along. "Now if you'll excuse me Wells, I'm going to go do my _job_ ," Clarke emphasized as she walked past her best friend.

She knew she had no right to be mad at him, after all it was her who was lying to him. Still, he had immediately accused her and acted like some sort of jealous boyfriend which she was very not okay with. Lexa had caught up and fell in step beside her. "I hope that was okay," she said trying to bring back the calm happy Clarke she had just been with moments before.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Clarke replied. "It's not that I don't want people to know we are friends or anything. I just... sort of blew him off to find you today and didn't feel like dealing with him."

Lexa's laugh was the last thing Clarke expected to hear but it sounded like music to her ears. "I'm so glad you don't have the stick up your ass that everyone thinks you do. Now let me make your trouble worthwhile."

"Where are we going?" Clarke asked. Lexa made her feel calm. Clarke had no idea who she was but she thought that who she was around Lexa was the best version of herself.

"You'll see. We have to be just a little sneaky though, if you're up for it." The look on Lexa's face was mischievous and daring and it didn't take Clarke a second thought to know she wanted nothing more than to lose herself with this girl.

When they arrived at the end of a deserted hallway Clarke looked around in confusion. She watched as Lexa shimmied off one of the covers for the air ducts and turned around to make sure no one could see them. "Trust me?" Lexa asked and Clarke realized that she did without hesitation and climbed in as Lexa directed her to. She moved forward enough to allow Lexa to climb in after her and replace the covering. "Just keep going until you come to the next grate. You'll come out next to a ladder," Lexa instructed.

"Why the hell not?" Clarke chuckled and did as told. Lexa had been accurate and Clarke soon found herself pondering how to maneuver her body from being on hands and knees in a tiny duct to pull herself over onto a ladder without falling.

"You just gotta go for it," Lexa said in encouragement. "Or I can just keep staring at your ass in my face."

The embarrassment alone was all the encouragement Clarke needed. Her cheeks immediately turned red and she reached out to wrap her forearms around the ladder and swung the rest of her body from the duct. "Up or down?" Clarke asked.

"Down," Lexa answered. Once Clarke had moved down for her to have enough room she pulled herself onto the ladder as well.

Once both girls had their feet back on the ground Clarke looked at her expectantly. "Where are we?" she wondered. Lexa didn't speak but she took Clarke's hand once again and led her a few feet down the hallway and Clarke froze in her place as soon as she walked around the corner. They were in a large room full of large tables and tools that she didn't recognize. The was a large window on the far wall and Clarke could see the planet they were orbiting from it. "This is amazing," she admitted breathlessly.

Lexa followed her as she walked to the window. She jumped up onto one of the work tables closest to Clarke and got comfortable. "Pretty cool huh?" she asked as she watched Clarke watching Earth outside of the window.

"It's beyond cool. The windows are never free. There's always people by them looking and talking and making noise," Clarke answered as she touched her hands to the glass, mesmerized. "Where are we though?"

"Somewhere in the engineering station," Lexa shrugged. "For some reason they don't use this space but it's sealed off so this is the only way in as far as I can tell."

"How did you find it?" Clarke broke away from the window and turned her attention back to Lexa, who was now officially the most interesting person she had ever met.

She watched as Lexa shifted uncomfortably and moved over to sit on the table next to her. "My mom died during childbirth. My father well, he wasn't really equipped to take care of me. I sort of grew up alone with a lot of time on my hands. There's a lot you can learn when no one is paying attention to you. There's a lot of secrets on the Ark. But this is my favorite. It's the only place I can ever be alone. I'm not sure if anyone else even knows it exists. Or if they do then they don't seem to care about it."

Clarke was quiet, not sure how to reply to Lexa's honesty. She shifted slightly so that they were arm to arm and leg to leg with each other. Lexa allowed her body to lean into Clarke's ever so slightly, accepting the blonde's silent comfort. "Thank you for sharing it with me," was all Clarke said after a long silence. "I wish I had my art stuff with me."

Lexa looked over to the blonde next to her and studied her face. She was thankful Clarke didn't ask more questions but even more grateful that the blonde seemed to understand that Lexa also didn't want any sort of reaction from it. It felt good to just talk to someone without having to explain feelings or the reasons behind them. "You could use these walls as a canvas," Lexa suggested. "Even if they ever decided to reopen the area they would never know who did it unless you managed to somehow get caught in the act."

"Do you ever feel like you don't know who you are?" Clarke asked, turning to look at her companion. She knew Lexa had been looking at her but for some reason it didn't unsettle her. The pair seemed to specialize in sharing secrets from the moment they had met so Clarke was already comfortable in her presence. Lexa didn't speak and Clarke turned back to the window before continuing.

She told Lexa all the things that she couldn't tell anyone else. Clarke told her how she was tired of the person everyone wanted her to be. How she dreamed that she could just go to Earth and not be trapped in her tiny box in the sky any longer. Lexa asked what Clarke would do if she were on Earth and they fell into easy conversation as they made up different scenarios about what life on the ground would be like, each one more silly than the last. By the time they were done they both had stomach cramps from giggling.

"Seriously. I'll be Heda, leader of all," Lexa stated matter-of-factly. "Don't worry you can still be Wanheda." Lexa promised.

"But I wanna be the alpha," Clarke pouted.

"No way. You're too soft."

"Am not! I won the tag war!" the blonde defended as she playfully pushed Lexa.

"What if you lose a finger and can't draw anymore?" the brunette countered.

"Okay fine you win. You can be the alpha and I will keep my fingers in tact."

"We should probably get back," Lexa said sadly. "If the little ones go too long without seeing me they start to freak out."

"Is that why you look after them so well? Since you didn't have anyone to look after you?" Clarke asked, remembering what Lexa told her earlier.

"Yeah. I mean... What else am I going to do on the Ark? I don't really have anything else going for me," Lexa admitted.

Clarke stood up and shook her head. She took Lexa's hand into hers and looked into the green pools of Lexa's eyes. "You're the most interesting person I've ever met. I've never had this much fun before."

Lexa wanted to look away from Clarke's blue eyes but she felt paralyzed. This beautiful girl who had it all was touching her and complementing her. "Will you come back with me sometime?" was all Lexa could say.

"Oh yeah. I want to know all your secrets," Clarke said playfully as she let go of Lexa's hand and started walking back to the ladder. "What if someone is in the hall when we pop the grate out on the other end?" Clarke asked suddenly concerned.

"The hall is a dead end. I've never seen anyone else in it," Lexa said easily. It was enough for Clarke.

They didn't talk as they made their way back to the common area. Clarke was lost in thought about her life once again. Being with Lexa was the only time she ever felt her age. She didn't have to be better than her, or smarter. She could simply be sixteen and she didn't want to leave the happy bubble she was in.

"Do you really have to go?" Clarke asked even though she knew she should get back too. Someone somewhere was always keeping tabs on her.

Lexa studied the blonde's pout and sad eyes. "You could come with me and play with the kids again?"

Clarke thought it over for a few minutes. She knew her parents would probably be waiting for her but it wasn't like she could really go anywhere far away or anything. She figured getting yelled at for coming home late was worth it if it meant more time with Lexa. "Lead the way, Heda," Clarke said.

Lexa's face lit up and Clarke felt her heart race in reaction. She was glad Lexa felt the same way she did and was more so glad that they didn't need to talk about it. They were comfortable and wanted to spend time together and that was that.

They walked back to the thirteenth station in a comfortable silence. It was broken the second the kids spotted Clarke and ran to her for hugs. "Wanheda returns!" one of them chanted. Lexa chuckled and mussed the mop of curls on the little boys head.

Clarke watched as Lexa fussed over the kids, making sure everyone had eaten and did their studies. She could see the way they hung on her every word the same way Clarke seemed to. It wasn't hard for Clarke to envision Lexa as the leader she spoke about wanting to be. Lexa's eyes would frequently dart to Clarke's to make sure she was okay and Clarke's smile never left her face.

As the kids started to settle down they sat around the common room on the couches and Lexa urged Clarke over to sit next to her. "Up for some cartoons before bedtime?" Lexa asked.

Clarke knew she should really go home. Her mom would be furious that she had stayed out so late without saying where she was. She also knew her dad would smooth things over for her. "Bring it on," Clarke answered as she settled into the couch to get comfortable.

A little girl climbed up onto Lexa's lap and threw her legs over Clarke's. Once everyone was settled Lexa started the old cartoon on the projector. The kids came and went, climbing on and off the couch and over the two of them. By the time the show ended the two girls were against each other once more and holding hands. Neither could say how it happened or who did it, just that it did and they both liked it.

"I should go," Clarke said reluctantly as she let go of Lexa's hand and stood up.

Lexa followed her actions and stood up too. "I'll walk you out," she said. She didn't know why but she felt her hands growing clammy. She felt like it was the end of a date, even though she had never actually been on a date.

"See you soon?" Clarke asked hopefully.

"You know where to find me," Lexa answered.

Clarke looked into the captivating green eyes once more, wanting to stay lost in this unique person more than anything. She wanted to kiss her but she also didn't want to scare her. She also couldn't risk anyone seeing. She couldn't imagine what kind of shit storm that would start with her family.

Eventually she opted for hugging Lexa who responded immediately by wrapping her arms around Clarke. They hugged just a few seconds too long and just a little too tightly for it to not mean something. "Goodnight Lexa," Clark said as they finally separated.

She began her walk home, preparing the story she would tell her parents in her head. Hopefully she wouldn't get grounded so she actually could see Lexa again soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Yhis is sort of a short filler chapter and not all that great. Sorry. Lot going on for me right now BUT shit will be hitting the fan in the next chapter sooo I want to be able to give that one it's full due. In the mean time, please enjoy Raven because she's adorable and I love her.

* * *

Clarke had prepared for the worst when she slipped into the front door of her living quarters, rehearsing her excuse over and over until she had perfected it on her walk back. It would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed, though not displeased, to find her parents nowhere in sight. She finally heard them before she saw them, their not quite hushed whispers catching her attention. At the odd behavior from her parents Clarke pressed her body against the wall and listened, trying to make out what they were talking about.

"We have to tell them Abby," her dad urged. "It's the right thing to do."

"It'll be anarchy Jake," Abby pleaded. "We just can't."

"I know how you feel but..." Jake started but Clarke peeled herself away from the wall before she could hear more, satisfied that they weren't talking about her.

As quietly as she could Clarke slid into her bedroom and shut the door, dropping onto her bed to think about a certain green eyed girl and the secrets she had shared with Clarke.

When Clarke's mom was waking her in the morning she hadn't remembered falling asleep at all. In fact she had fallen asleep in her clothes without even changing and Abby did not fail to notice. "Don't think I don't know you came home late," she said as Clarke opened her eyes. Clarke didn't even speak. Instead she let out a grunt and rolled over, trying to bury her face into her pillow to block out the light. "And this, grouchy pants, is why you have a curfew. You're impossible in the mornings."

"Am not," Clarke mumbled without making any other effort to wake up for classes.

"Are too. And you'll be spending the night with me in the med bay after classes, since you've decided you're such a night owl."

At that Clarke finally rolled over and opened her eyes to glare at her mother. "The whole night?" she groaned.

"Yes. Since you don't have classes tomorrow and I'm on night shift and you don't like coming home at night you can spend it all with me," Abby half teased, half chastised.

"Mom," Clarke started but Abby gave her a pointed glare that shut her up quickly. She knew better than to argue with her mother. This was her punishment and she would accept it gracefully. Unless... "Wells and I were supposed to hang out tonight," Clarke said innocently, hoping that everyone's hopes for them getting together were enough to get her mother to forego punishment.

"Well then I suppose he can bring you dinner in the med bay instead then hmm?" Abby said as she stood up to walk out of Clarke's room, signaling the end of the conversation. Clarke just groaned and rolled over, still not ready to get up for school. Until she thought that maybe, just maybe, if she started taking different routes and making new routines maybe she could run into Lexa between classes.

With a new determination she got out of bed and began to get ready for her day. When she finished she walked out and Abby had breakfast ready for her, causing a knot of guilt to tie in Clarke's stomach. She had never really spent much time before thinking about how privileged she was because her family got to have their own shares of some of the food supplies in their living quarters. "What's wrong?" Abby asked as Clarke hesitated before biting into her toast. "I didn't burn it."

Clarke pulled herself from her thoughts to regard her mother. She wanted to ask questions, so many of them, as they flooded her mind but she decided against it. "Are you and dad okay?" she asked at length, not only to hide her true thoughts but also out of concern from overhearing them last night.

"Of course honey," Abby answered as she walked over to Clarke. "Why would you ask that?"

"I just... It kind of seemed like you were arguing about something last night," Clarke admitted.

"Oh honey that's just council stuff. Nothing personal between your father and I," she reassured. "We separate our relationship from business. You know how much we love each other." Abby gave Clarke a hug as she finished her toast, sending her off to classes with a reminder that she had to be at the med bay afterwards.

As usual, Wells was waiting for Clarke so they could walk together. Neither spoke about the previous day, both feeling too guilty over their own private thoughts to bring it up. Clarke broke the silence by jokingly asking him if he wanted to bring her dinner and talking about how her mother was working her like a dog to train her as a doctor while omitting the part about it being because of a punishment. Of course he happily agreed and they fell back into their easy daily rhythm.

Throughout the day Wells followed Clarke, not once commenting on her round about way of getting to their courses. He tried not to notice the way her eyes darted back and forth, obviously looking for someone who wasn't him. He tried not to notice that Clarke was doodling all through their courses or writing out notes when the teacher wasn't even giving a lecture. He cared about her too much to push her away with questions even though he still felt guilty for letting his jealousy show the day before.

Clarke was his best friend, his only friend really, and as long as Clarke was happy then he was going to be happy for her.

"Who are you looking for?" he sighed, finally unable to take the silence anymore.

"Huh?" Clarke stammered as she stopped to look at Wells. "I'm not," she said finally as she stilled her eyes on him instead of past him for the first time that day.

"You're an awful liar Clarke. We've been best friends our whole lives. Spill it," he demanded as he placed his hands on Clarke's arms to give her the _I'm serious_ face.

Clarke stayed frozen in place, her mind racing as she weighed her options. Wells was her best friend and she wanted to tell him about the amazing girl she met and everything they had done together. Wells also liked her and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Wells was also the chancellor's son who never broke the rules so admitting that she's been breaking the rules was out of the question. She had to be the Clarke she was supposed to be.

Except when a green eyed goddess walked into her line of sight at the end of the day all hopes of keeping the status-quo with Wells were instantly lost. He noticed the second Clarke's eyes lit up and left his face. He was aware that she didn't even notice as he followed her line of sight to the same girl she had been with the day before. "Earth to Clarke," he teased more lightheartedly than he felt. When her eyes snapped back to him she muttered an apology but he just shrugged. "I've gotta go take care of something, see you later when I bring you dinner," he teased before walking away.

Clarke twinged with guilt but it only lasted for a moment when her eyes caught sight of the green ones looking back at her. "You gonna stare all day or actually say hi?" Lexa said quietly as she approached Clarke. She was happy to see her new friend but also still concerned that Clarke wouldn't want people to see them being friendly with each other.

"I umm. Yeah. Hi," Clarke said finally, her cheeks pink as she averted her gaze the the floor. "I've been looking for you."

"Oh?" Lexa couldn't stop the smile pulling at her lips as Clarke started walking and they fell in step together.

Without speaking Clarke reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded up paper and pressed it into Lexa's hand, both girls letting their fingers brush together just a little longer than necessary. "I've gotta spend the night in med bay with my mom for training slash punishment for last night," Clarke finally said at length as they walked down the hallway.

"Maybe tomorrow?" Lexa asked, knowing that she wouldn't have to elaborate for Clarke to understand what she was asking. The brunette knew she was flirting with danger getting caught up with the blue eyed princess of the Ark but she would risk being floated for pissing off some of the uppity snobs on the Ark if it meant more secret stolen moments with Clarke. Or not so secret. Lexa would take it either way as long as it involved her and Clarke together.

"I'll find you," Clarke promised before wrapping her pinky finger around Lexa's. The two smiled at each other before Clarke reluctantly pulled away and began walking towards med bay knowing that the sooner she started her shift the sooner her mother would let her end it.

Lexa watched the blonde walk away before unfolding the paper Clarke handed her. It was a drawing of them on a the couch the night before holding hands and it simply read _I miss you._ Lexa bit the inside of her cheek to try to keep the smile off of her face but failed miserably. Although she had no idea what was going on between them, at least she knew it was mutual. "Stupid teenage hormones," she muttered to herself as she began walking back towards her station.

Clarke threw herself into her work in the med bay, impressing Abby who thought the blonde was working extra hard to make up for letting her down about coming home late. Clarke, however, was just trying to make the time go by as quickly as possible so she could start her weekend of freedom. Once the admitted patients had been tended to and supplies had been restocked Clarke let her mother instruct her on the anatomy and physiology that she would need to know before she would be able to ever operate safely on anyone.

"Mom it's too late for school," Clarke whined as the night went on, her brain no longer able to register the lessons Abby was trying to teach her.

"And doctors don't get to rest Clarke. You have to stay focused no matter how tired you are. Lives depend on it," Abby continued relentlessly. It wasn't that she enjoyed being so hard on Clarke but she had to make sure Clarke understood the importance of her role on the Ark no matter how much she wished she could just let her daughter be the free spirited teen she knew Clarke wanted to be. Ark life simply wasn't that simple. The rules and processes existed for a reason and they had to be followed at all times. The thought dampened Abby's mood as she remembered her discussion with her husband the night before.

Clarke was about to say something as she noticed the worry lines seep onto her mother's face but was interrupted by someone walking in and cursing. "Fucking shit," a voice growled lowly and Clarke looked over to see the mechanic prodigy of the Ark as she sauntered over to Abby.

"Dr. G, I've got a bleeder," the small girl said as she held up her hand which was covered in what used to be a white cloth, now stained red.

"Raven, lovely to see you as always," Abby laughed ruefully as she approached the dark haired girl. "What have you done to yourself now?"

Clarke watched as Raven helped herself to one of the beds in the med bay and got comfortable. Abby began to unwrap her hand as Raven acknowledged the blonde. "Hey Clarke," she said with a grin.

"Raven," Clarke replied, surprised that the girl knew her name. Then again, who didn't know she was the famous daughter of Jake and Abby; even though that was the last thing she wanted to be known for.

"You really are a bleeder," Abby joked as she examined the hand in front of her. "Clarke come look," she instructed.

Clarke did as told and when Abby asked her opinion on what to do Clarke easily answered to clean the wound and maybe a few stitches to stop the bleeding although she wasn't sure how stitches would hold in the palm of someone's hand. "What did you even do?" she asked Raven, slightly in awe that someone could cut a gash in their hand like that and still be walking around with a grin on their face.

"Ah just some metalworking gone wrong," Raven brushed it off. "Got a little carried away and over cut, clearly. The piece broke off and I tried to catch it but the corner sliced right through me" she laughed.

"Apparently genius IQ doesn't come with common sense," Clarke joked, Raven's bright mood contagious.

"Ah, Princess Clarke knows who I am," Raven half bowed in her seat as Abby began stitching up her hand. "Don't I at least get something for the pain before you start needling me to death?" Raven asked with a frown in Abby's direction.

"You should be used to this by now, Reyes," Abby said calmly as she made quick work of the few stitches she put in to stop the bleeding.

"I just can't help it Dr. G. I just love the face you make while torturing me. Worth all the pain it takes to get here," Raven rolled her eyes.

"You're disgusting," Clarke said before laughing, unable to ignore her moms discomfort at Raven's bold words.

Abby just sighed as she bandaged Raven's hand. "And here I brought you in to work tonight Clarke, not team up against your mother," she said lightheartedly. "I hope you were paying attention to that stitching."

"I was," Clarke said indignantly. She was perfectly capable of multi-tasking. Besides, she's been watching her mom sew people up her whole life. She was fairly certain she could do it in her sleep by now.

"Alright Reyes. Take it easy out there. I don't want to see you back here any time soon," Abby said as she stood up to walk away from her impromptu patient. "You know the drill."

"Yup," Raven answered as she hopped up from the bed. "See ya 'round Clarkey."

Clarke watched as the small Latina walk out of the med bay, once more realizing how confining the bubble of everyone's expectations for her life was. With a new determination Clarke was going to break free from that and find the person she wanted to be for herself, starting by making friends with more than just Wells. With a sigh, knowing there was nothing she could do about it at the moment, Clarke went to find her mother to suffer through more of her drilling technique and facts into her head.

As the hours passed and Clarke's yawns grew in intensity Abby finally took pity on her daughter and sent her home to sleep. It wasn't until she crawled into her bed that Clarke realized that Wells never stopped by to bring her dinner. She knew she had been neglecting him, and though she felt guilty about it she didn't let it deter her away from her plans to wake up and see Lexa instead. It was with the green eyed girl in her mind that she finally fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
